The aim of the proposed project is the elucidation of the enzymic processes involved in the degradation of dietary starch to glucose in the mammalian digestive system. The enzymes involved in the breakdown of the limit dextrins produced by pancreatic alpha-amylase will be identified and characterized. The factor (s) involved in rendering native (i.e. uncooked) starch susceptible to alpha-amylolysis will be examined. Studies will be made of the possible relation of levels of starch-degrading enzymes to the content of starch in the diet, levels of the enzymes in the developing neonate will be measured, and levels of the enzyme in the diabetic state will be determined. The results will be of value in assessing the nutritional importance of the various enzymes involved in the complete breakdown of starch and provide an understanding of how starch, the major source of calories in most diets, is made available for utilization as glucose. Knowledge of this nature is fundamental to the development of dietary regimes designed to regulate starch utilization by, for example, the obese individual, the infant and the diabetic.